Fun Times NEWS Page

South Florida Author cops TWO Mom's Choice Awards

BOCA RATON — Author and America's most prolific punster Kathy Johnson just scored not one, but TWO Silver Stars in the prestigious Mom's Choice Awards competition!
Kathy's "What A Babe" and her "Starlette Universe Book 2" both achieved their 2nd Place recognition up against books from over 40 countries.

The Mom's Choice Awards recognize books and products deemed exceptionally family friendly, and their seals of approval can be seen on products inside stores like Toys R Us.

Both books are illustrated by South Florida's own "Captain Cartoon", veteran newspaper syndication artist and South Florida party caricaturist.

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561-350-3218

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Real Life 'Mandrake the Magician' Foils Purse-Snatcher With Magic Trick!

DELRAY BEACH —
The Amazing Tomaso has dazzled audiences from New York to South Florida, but even this masterful magician wasn't prepared for the most harrowing performance of his life — a sudden dramatic pursuit of a real-life purse-snatcher!

REAL-LIFE Mandrake the Magician: Thomas Morello, aka "The Amazing Tomaso," shows off the magic cane used to foil a purse snatcher in Delray Beach, Florida.

Thomas Morello, (stage name the Amazing Tomaso) was street performing on touristy Atlantic Avenue on March 22 at 9 PM when out of the blue, he heard someone shout "STOP HIM!"

A frenzied figure suddenly whisked past, with woman's purse in hand. Morello immediately gave chase with a gadget "magic-appearing cane" in hand. A whopping four minutes later, he shouted "Freeze," ejecting his cane and pointing it at the perpetrator, causing the thief to immediately drop the purse and speed off.
What made this adventure even more bizarre was Morello's lucky use of stage magic to foil the robbery — reminiscent of the fictional newspaper comic strip character Mandrake the Magician! Mandrake also defeats bad guys Eyewitness Alan Krame told the Fun Times "Tomaso and I were in Delray last (Thursday eve) and I was on the phone. All of a sudden there was yelling, people running and next thing I know...Tomaso jumps up and takes off after a purse snatcher! His abilities must be more than magical, since he was able to help recover the woman's purse. Good Work!"

Delray police arrived at the scene several minutes later and took a report, featuring this description of the robber: caucasian, young, almost six feet tall, with a close buzz cut and who ran in a distinctively rigid style. As one eye-witness remarked amongst a chorus of cheers, "You are one REAL magician!" No word as to whether Morello received any reward, but we had to ask: "Did it ever occur to you that this joker might turn around and shoot?"

"Yes," Morello replied, "but only AFTER the chase. I was determined to get this guy, and by golly I did." Now THAT'S what real heroes are made of!